Lou Paciocco was raised in the ghettos of New York. His determination and drive to succeed began as early as 6 years of age when he took his first job polishing fruit at a local fruit stand. By age 11 he held 3 jobs and by his 17th birthday he had saved enough money to leave New York for the first time.

Lou headed south to Miami Beach, he loved it so much that he later returned as a dance instructor. At age 19 Lou was debuting as a dancer and opening act for some of the most famous Singers and Comedians. A truly memorable moment and highlight of Lou’s early career was a performance with Harry Belafonte where he taught him the Cha Cha in front of an audience of 1000. This was Lou’s first taste of Show Business and he was hooked.

Two years later Lou was drafted into the Army, he was stationed in Germany in special services. Lou’s talent was instantly put to use producing entertainment for the troops. When Lou returned home he realized that not only did he love to entertain but he also possessed an invaluable asset, the art of communicating with people from all walks of life. Within 5 years of his return Lou had become extremely successful as a Real Estate Broker/owner with 9 branch offices in New York.

After 15 years of success Lou decided it was time to return to his first love “Show Business”. So in November 1980 he opened a restaurant nightclub “La Cage Aux Folles” in New York. The impersonation review and nightclub was an instant smash hit, people lined up nightly to get in and such greats as Ethel Merman and Rock Hudson quickly became regulars.

Next stop Hollywood. April 18th, 1981 marked the outrageous opening of “La Cage Aux Folles” in West
Hollywood. The critics, the public and the who’s who of Hollywood all fell in love with La Cage and its inimitable keeper Lou Paciocco. The very stars Lou had dreamt of as a child were now regular patrons and fans of La Cage. The next thing Lou knew it was as though the floodgates had opened, offers to open La Cage around the country were coming in left, right and center.

In 1982 he opened in Atlantic City for a thirteen week contact, La Cage went on to become the first ever show to have a ten year run in Atlantic City. From there La Cage went on to open and thrill audiences in Las Vegas & Miami Beach. The attention that La Cage drew was phenomenal with features on Geraldo, Oprah and Johnny Carson and many more. Lou also went on to produce 2 off Broadway plays, 3 feature films and 2 television specials, one with “Mr. Television” himself Milton Berle.

In 1987 Lou met a young and talented choreographer from Canada, Mande Dagenais and they teamed up to produce reviews, musicals and road shows of La Cage around the world including Guam, Taiwan, Canada, Saint Maarten, Hawaii, Miami, New York and San Francisco. Lou’s dream became a reality and his show is recognized and loved around the world.

Having had such unparalleled success Lou is always striving for the next blockbuster. Along with the creative talents of Alex Marchant and Mande Dagenais some of his latest endeavors include an original and unique Musical comedy bound for Broadway, a Comedy Drama for a television series or feature film and several ballroom dance spectacles. As part of his legacy, Lou is working towards the creation of a foundation for children, aimed at helping any child in need, in any situation, in all walks of life. Children are one of his greatest passions and all Lou truly wants is to put a smile on a lot of little faces.